Podcasts have taken off in a way that few could have predicted just a few years ago. In fact, recent predictions suggest that podcasts will be the next $1 billion media market. So, if you have something of value to share with the world, now is the time to do it!

There are three things you’ll need to consider before beginning your podcast:

1. Recording Your Podcast

You don’t need the best or most expensive microphone on the market. A reasonably high-quality microphone will work just fine, and even your laptop’s built-in mic could suffice for now. Look on Amazon for options like the Blue Snowball and the Blue Yeti. 

If you’ll be interviewing people remotely, check out Zencastr. It’s an app that lets you send a link to your guest so that you chat via Zencastr, who will record each voice and then generate a single mixed professional-quality track for you.

2. Editing Your Podcast

Now that you have your content you will need to edit the material and then add some music.

Audacity is an excellent and free audio editing software program that works on Mac, Windows, or Linux. 

As for music, there are several royalty-free options. You’ll want music for your intro and possibly at other times as well. Popular choices include Incompetech, Hooksounds, Bensound, and Jamendo.  

Editing will take some time, so be patient. And be sure to wear quality headphones so you hear what the final product will sound like.

3. Hosting Your Podcast

Finally, you’ll need to get an RSS feed to get your podcast out there so people can listen and subscribe to it. 

The easiest way is to host the RSS feed through a free third-party service like Soundcloud. They do the work, take care of the maintenance, and you just need to submit its URL to podcast distributors like iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, etc.

It will likely take some time for you to make money from your podcast, so don’t worry about that yet. Just get started!